MEDICAL MARIJUANA ADVOCATES MEET

Hobbled by a degenerative back disease and arthritis, there were days
when Perry Parks was in near constant pain. He tried Vioxx, epidural
steroids and other drugs, but he said nothing seemed to work.

Then the Vietnam veteran from Rockingham turned to marijuana. "The
results were overwhelming," says Parks, 67. "I now live almost pain
free." Tonight Parks will share his story at a town hall meeting at
UNC Charlotte hosted by state Rep. Nick Mackey of Mecklenburg County.
"The evidence that it benefits patients is pretty much unrefuted,"
Mackey said Wednesday.

Mackey and Rep. Kelly Alexander Jr., both Democrats, are co-sponsoring
a bill that would make North Carolina the 15th state in the nation to
legalize the medical use of marijuana. The chief sponsor, Democratic
Rep. Earl Jones of Greensboro, also is expected to attend.

Their bill, HB 1380, would legalize marijuana use for people diagnosed
with debilitating conditions including cancer, glaucoma, rheumatoid
arthritis or multiple sclerosis. It also would license producers of
the product and dispensaries that distribute it.

The bill is in the House Committee on Health. Mackey and other
sponsors hope to move it forward when the General Assembly reconvenes
in May. Supporters made their case at a public hearing last June. They
were met by skepticism by some legislators, including at least one who
worried that it would lead to addiction.

But advocates say medical marijuana use is growing. "This is part of a
trend going on across the country and it has broad public support,"
said Ray Warren, a former N.C. legislator from Matthews who served as
Director of State Policies for the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington.

Fourteen states allow the use of medical marijuana but few deal with
the supply. Unlike many, North Carolina would license growers. "That's
the new sort of frontier," Warren said. "Not only would the state quit
prosecuting people but the state would give them a way to obtain the
product." Sponsors say the bill eventually would raise $60 million a
year through taxes and licensing fees.

They hope that's a selling point in a tough economy. "That gives it a
much better chance because we need to find new sources of revenue in
North Carolina," Mackey said. "... We can't just keep raising taxes."
But efforts to legalize marijuana for any reason could face
opposition. "If we start increasing our acceptance of drugs, you're
going to see a higher level of drug use," said Police Chief Tim
Ledford of Mint Hill, president of the N.C. Association of Chiefs of
Police. "If people start accepting the use, even if it's medical
marijuana use, people tend to see that being more liberal, more
accepting." To Alexander, the benefits of legalization outweigh any
risks. "It made sense from the standpoint of revenue," he said, "and
it made sense from alleviating suffering."